Naruto's Capture
by Siblings of Destruction
Summary: ...Naruto becomes the greatest asset for Atasuki?...
1. Strange night

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…

Nine red tails swooped harshly on the ground as the creature howled into the night. Its fiery gaze fixed on the boy with blonde erratic hair before him. Its never-ending hate for him filled the green pastures and mountains around him as it lifted its paw to strike the boy.

"**_You are nothing, Naruto! Everyone hates you even me! Die, you pathetic little creature!"_**

Naruto woke up from his sudden nightmare as he quickly sat up so that he could catch his breathe. He felt the starch and itchy cotton from the bed cover against his body and felt the extreme heat that was causing his to sweat, and probably caused the nightmare. He slowly brushed off the cover and laid back onto his bed as he felt the breeze of cold wind blow upon him from the window. It had refreshed him until he noticed that he didn't open that window. He never opens that window ever since kids from across the street began throwing rocks into his apartment. He decided to leave it open since the nice coolness from the wind was comfy and that he would close it when he woke up. But something still bothered him. He just couldn't remember opening that window and something even more strange bothered him, no more wind was blowing from it either.

Naruto was tired and he felt like this inner argument concerning certain paranoia wasn't worth losing nice beautiful sleep. He shrugged it off and closed his eyes when he felt the warmth of a shadow over him. He quickly opened his eyes to see a shadowy figure over him. He hadn't recognized the figure until he saw the eyes, the red eyes of a Sharingan user. It reminded him of that gaze from the fox in his nightmare. It was equally hateful. He then felt another shadow from the other side of his bed. Naruto couldn't see this figure's eyes but he could make out the huge object on his back.

It wasn't long before he had noticed that these figures were Itachi and Kisame. They probably came to kidnap him but Naruto was completely helpless in this matter…

"It seemed that you were having a nightmare, Naruto," Itachi spoke softly in his cool manner as always.

"The irony, having a nightmare right before another one begins!" Kisame blurted out in ill-humor that struck fear into Naruto's mind.

"It's time that we extract the nine-tailed fox out of you, Naruto…"


	2. Itachi's question

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Author's note: I decided to keep on. I do not like having uncompleted plots even if they were meant to be uncompleted.

Naruto had a frightened look in his eyes. It was the brother of Sasuke and an ugly fish man surrounding his bed talking about how they were going to extract the demon inside of him.

"Your life will be sacrifice but it is a small one. You should actually be thankful for we will take away your suffering away as well," Itachi said with his eyes still staring down. Naruto stayed on his bed still thinking about his nightmare. Could this be true? Could Itachi's words be the truth? Naruto has suffered enough. Though he said he would never give up and that he would make everyone accept him and acknowledge his strength, but would that be enough to make up for what he really wanted. Being Hokage could never give him a family or take away this demon inside of him.

It wasn't until that thought that he realized what he could do. His eyes widened a little making Itachi stunned a little. A little grin appeared on the little ninja's lips.

"What's so funny?" Kisame asked with a little fury in his voice. He did not like to be mocked.

"What if I could join you guys?" Naruto had questioned. Itachi just looked back to Kisame with a confused face.

"You cannot join us! We will extract the demon and you will die!" he answered with an annoyed tone. He never liked kids, especially his little brother, but this one was pushing it.

"What happens if I choose to die before you take me there? The demon would die as well right?"

Itachi just stood silent. For the first time in his life, someone actually made him shut up. Kisame just smiled back, he liked this kid.

"He could make a fine member!" he blurted out with humor. He could only think about how well they could train Naruto, he could become a great ninja. Not only that, but they could skip the whole trouble of extracting and now they didn't have to worry about crying kids on their journey back.

"Naruto, your life will be sacrificed! Okay? No matter how much you put up an argument, we will not let you off the hook!" Itachi had said still looking at Naruto. He had noticed a little rustling from a tree outside and had already known that some Anbu soldiers were following but their fear had stopped them from attacking. They were ferocious Atasuki members. And now that he could think about it, Naruto could be a fine member! But it was unacceptable; the leader wanted the nine-tailed fox for himself. That was their plan, nine demons inside nine strong members of the Atasuki, making them unstoppable, but they still had a long way to go. They still couldn't find out how to insert the demons inside without having some seal that killed the user or repeating the incident with Gaara. Insane members were hardly any use to them. But here was one kid, who is sane and had already a demon inside and was already willing to go!

Would the leader actually decide to make Naruto one important part of Atasuki?

But first, they had some Anbu to deal with…


	3. not so Atasuki

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…

Author's note: There have been many changes lately and I apologize. I just thought I would make it into a grand plot and a big story.

Itachi couldn't help but ponder about the scared shinobi out of Naruto's apartment. Did they call for reinforcements? It would've been the obvious choice but no move has been taken to attack. Their sudden rush to enter and ran off with the hope that they wouldn't be caught was of course Kisame's plan. Itachi had grown angry with his impatient partner and decided to indulge in Kisame's ingenious version of the "Hit and Run" attack. Naruto just laid in his bed however waiting for his captors to come to a decision on whether they snatch him or just leave him.

"We got a lot of company…" Itachi whispered with his eyes focused on the same window opening they entered through. He could see the shivering bodies with his red eyes…but he also sensed an unknown presence with chakra alike to that of their leader.

"A relative?" he whispered to himself, "but why here?"

Silence consumed the room. The all great Atasuki members had just disgraced their name again. They had made the biggest mistake in taking the time to chat with Naruto. The loud ninja was indeed noisy enough to actually draw attention in the darkest hour of the night…maybe that was Naruto's plan or maybe he did want to leave with them. Itachi had no time to think over such trivial matters. They had to leave Naruto and evacuate the area as soon as possible.

"Let's leave, Kisame!" he commanded while still having his eyes at the rustling trees outside. "There's no wind today…"

Kisame had already left the building from another opened window but Itachi was now stuck. That strange chakra he sensed earlier had now reached the roof. Itachi was now in a tough position.

"Are you going to take me with you or not!" Naruto yelled with aggravation. Itachi couldn't help but notice that this was a chance of a lifetime. He could not let this off.

"I'll talk to my boss! But for now, follow me!" he commanded as he turned around. Three Anbu were hidden in the tree. They were still struck with fear. Kisame was now gone! Itachi was alone!

"What are they so afraid of?" he pondered until he felt this soft breeze from the other side of the room causing him to quickly spin around. "You have got to be kidding me!"

On the other side of the room stood a tall slim beast about seven feet tall. Its golden cloth was wrapped around its waist, glistening in the dark night along with its earrings. The legs were somehow different, like bent back but its feet were in the shape of dog feet! The chest was that of a man but its head was that of a dog. Itachi couldn't believe what he was seeing!

It swung out its short and curved golden sword from behind and stretched its long arm. Itachi studied his enemy and didn't see any chakra inside but only outside. Its strange shape and strange chakra control wasn't the only thing strange about this thing.

The creature lunged forward and swung its sword at Itachi, as it neared him, he could clearly see its head. It was that of a jackal…

Itachi ducked under the swift attack but it seemed that the beast wasn't after him but looking for a way out. He quickly looked for Naruto who still laid on his bed with eyes wide and a shocked face. That knife must've just passed over his face. Itachi picked up Naruto and leaped out his exit window and happened to notice that the tree was no longer intact. Whatever creature that was, it was surely very powerful. Itachi only ran with a traumatized Naruto in his arms hearing the alarm ringing throughout the village, completely forgetting about his encounter.

"Damn, every ninja here is going to be coming after us soon!" he said softly as he dashed through the streets with hesitant motion. His fear for that monster had spread through him. The eyes of it just struck fear in Itachi. He couldn't explain it, all he could think of was escaping the area. When he ran into ten ninjas, he leaped onto a wall and leaped off across onto a house and continued his frantic run. He could feel ninjas on his trail but now he could feel that familiar chakra. He remembered the chakra on the rooftop and how it was alike to his boss but the beast seemed to have a different one. Who did that chakra belong to? The answer wasn't too far off…

He kept leaping building to building while looking right to left. He spotted the creature again but on the other side of the village. Most of the ninjas chased after that thing but he could still feel that chakra right behind him like it was above him or below. When he noticed Kisame battling five ninjas, he was beginning to think that he would be consumed from the chakra.

Kisame swung his sword frantically as if trying to fend them off. It wasn't until the building they stood on exploded. Kisame leaped off and onto the street while the other ninjas were blown to bits. Itachi sighed in relief. He didn't want to see who that persistent chakra belonged to. He quickly jumped onto the road as well and caught Kisame's glance. When Itachi looked back down at the paralyzed Naruto, he realized that Naruto was glowing red. And the glow was flowing inside of Itachi.

'What's it doing?' he thought to himself as he realized that he could now run faster. 'Is it scared of the chakra too?'

It was in fact the nine tailed fox that was increasing Itachi's running capacity. But it wasn't for the stalking chakra but for something else. Itachi just kept the pace until they reached the outer walls. Kisame had magically disappeared again. But Itachi ignored that, he could still feel that absurd chakra on him and he wanted to just leave. His nerves were out of focus and he couldn't sense things right. He thought that the chakra was just his imagination until of course, the owner stood on top of the wall.

He stared up and saw the shadow. The moon seemed to be turning to the color red now and knew this fight would take everything he had. He put Naruto on the ground and looked back up.

"He weighs too much! It would only slow me down!" he said to himself as he dashed up the wall.

When he reached the top, he could sense the chakra surrounding his opponent. When the moon finally hit the two, it revealed that his enemy was a man. The color of his hair was brown and short. It wasn't too shaggy but kind of messy. Itachi stared into weird red eyes. Just completely red, all of it. His clothes were strange as well, a regular shirt with a thin coat over and long black mesh pants. His boots is what seemed the most strange to Itachi. No ninja would wear boots, always sandals for stealth reasons but something struck Itachi, this guy was no ninja. There was no headband anywhere on his body but the chakra resonated more and more. This man could use chakra alright, that much Itachi knew.

"Who are you?" Itachi asked arrogantly. The man just stared.

"Um…am I suppose to answer?" the man asked back in a ridiculous manner. This had made Itachi wonder whether the chakra might've been from his imagination. The passive stance of this man was just too calm for any regular person. Itachi only wondered if he should go back down and grabbed Naruto and leave but it wasn't until he went to the edge to go back down, that the man made a move. "Leave Naruto alone! That much you should take into account!"

Itachi backed off and smirked.

"I see, you're just waiting if I take Naruto to attack! If I leave, then you'll just let me!" Itachi pointed out while spotting a sword moving from the shadow behind the man. "Are you good in handicapped matches?"

"Pretty good…"

When Kisame leaped out of the shadow and swung his sword down on the man, the strange fellow blocked the attack with his left forearm. Kisame just smirked which turned into a surprised look. The handle of his sword shot out its spikes, piercing Kisame's hands. Itachi just grinned.

"You're the famous Mimic! Kisame, be careful! This guy can change his blood type to yours and can even copy your jutsus!" Itachi yelled while he noticed the creature stampeding through the village.

"I thought Sharingan users were the only ones who could do that!" Kisame yelled as he drew back his sword and released this punctured hands.

"His family is unknown but he's supposed to be on the Western borders! I don't know why or how but he is a much advanced fighter than either of us. But I think we can take him…"

Mimic looked at Itachi and smiled.

"My real name is Lance Uzumaki…"


	4. Sharingan vs Copycat

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…

Author's Note: I made some modifications to this chapter. I thought the fight was inadequate and decided to change it. My apologies yet again…

Cold blood dripped from the fish man's scaly hands. The warm night only got hotter as sweat dropped to mingle with the fallen blood. The three shadowy figures could be seen on a tall stone wall as the moonlight hid into the clouds. It's as if it was the calm before a storm.

"Lance…Uzumaki…" Itachi whispered as his left hand tightly grabbed his dark cape. He quickly tossed it off into the dark night, showing his identical mesh pants and shirt. "Let's see who has the better eye-sight!"

Though dark, both opponents could see clearly every movement around them, even behind.

Lance pushed off his right leg to start a dash at his enemy. Itachi waited for his opponent to reach him before the clash began. Lance launched his attacks while Itachi constantly blocked or dodged. His Sharingan eyes could see Lance's every movement making time move ever so slowly. The constant punches and forearm attacks were quick and solid but Lance would have to move more swiftly to catch the infamous Itachi off-guard.

The white light of the moon appeared again, shining upon the great wall surrounding Konoha. Kisame could only worry about his hands. He couldn't feel anymore pain in it nor could he feel anything. The spikes on the handle of his sword had severed the nerves of his hands. Though painful at first, it didn't take long before the feeling became numb. He could neither lift his sword nor even bend his fingers. His career of being a ninja had to come to an end for him, he thought. He looked at the fight before him, it was astonishing. The movements were ever so graceful and smooth than he's ever seen. It only made the blood-thirsty and now impaired Kisame ever more envious.

Itachi did not once throw an attack for he knew this is what his opponent wanted. Those eyes of Lance could probably see his moves as well as he could his. That man before him was waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

A growl was heard throughout the village causing a tremble on the ground. Lance quickly lifted his right leg and connected his knee to Itachi's stomach with impending force that sent the young Uchiha back a few steps. Lance landed his leg and got ready to leap off the stone ledge back into the village but stopped for a moment.

"If you abduct Naruto, your blood will be spilled! The Uzumaki's are not ones to be used as a pawn for some amateur plan to take over the world!" he stated as he then kicked off his right leg. Itachi stared at Lance who leaped off into the village while his hand slowly rubbed his aching stomach.

'This plan is much more difficult than expected…' he thought as he quickly glared over to Naruto who lay on the ground, paralyzed. Kisame on the other hand just stared at his broken hands. "We should leave; Kakuzu and Hidan should be coming soon for the switch off! We have more than enough time to recover the nine-tailed fox!"

With that, Itachi walked over to the other side of the wall. Kisame just sat on the ground.

"You go ahead, I'll stay here and ward off any followers!" he growled softly. Itachi just shrugged and dashed down the wall using chakra to keep him attached to the stone wall. Kisame just stood up as he spotted five ninjas pointing toward him. "Arrogant little insects, I wonder how long I'll last here…"


	5. Atasuki encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…

Author's Note: I would like to take this spare time to thank all who took the time to read and review my story (and my sister's stories). I really appreciate it. This is actually my first story I have ever "published" on any website and the good reviews I've been getting has motivated me to keep going till the end…Probably…We won't know until we get there…

Itachi leaped tree to tree in a huge rush. His heart was pounding and anxiety was driving him mad. He was still being chased by strong Anbu. He has already wasted a big portion of his chakra to rid himself of some head-hunters but there seemed to be a non-stop supply of the pests. It wasn't until a sudden flash appeared making the followers fall dead. It seemed to be a familiar technique used by Kisame, but Itachi was well aware that he was dead or captured. There was another who used a sword or a weapon similar in the small group of Atasuki, Hidan. Itachi sighed in disappointment; he preferred to have been killed by the head-hunters than to put up with this guy's religious crap. He slowed down to a stop when he spotted Hidan's partner, Kakuzu, a pupil-less guy.

"You look like hell, Itachi!" Kakuzu's rough voice implied while studying Itachi's injuries. There were cuts and bruises all over his body not to mention the huge depletion in chakra he could sense. "Where's your coat?"

"None of your business!" Itachi growled. His day was awful and he knew it was bound to get worse, especially with Hidan around. When he turned around and stared into the dark forest, he could still sense that energy as if it was chasing him still. He knew Lance wouldn't follow him, but what if he did, and what if he used some of that eerily chakra he had. It didn't take long before Itachi noticed that he didn't even come close to even hurting that Uzumaki. His partner just stared at him.

"Where's Kisame?" he asked hoping not to get another growl from the testy Uchiha.

"He's probably dead or captured…" he answered softly as he gained his cool again, that sense of chakra was leaving him.

"THEN WE MUST PRAY FOR HIS SOUL TO BE DELIVERED!" a light triumphant voice yelled. Itachi could only sigh in agony. "It's part of the precepts in Buddhism!"

"We already know that…You've told us that like a million times." Itachi's voice began to become edgy. "WE DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR BELIEFS!" he finally yelled. Kakuzu could only stare bewildered.

"Something got to you, it seems. You sensed it, didn't you? That weird chakra is from the boss. He seems to be mad at us," he stated looking at an edgy Itachi. Hidan popped out of the shadows to show his blonde and slick hair and his dark cloak. His hand held a necklace with the symbol of Buddhism.

"I may be a pain in the ass but it can't be helped," he stated softly with his eyes closed and head high as if he could actually do nothing about it. He's been annoying since forever.

"Anyway, we were supposed to switch partners. Kisame was to go with Hidan and I was to go with you but since we lost a partner, we have to go together." Kakuzu stated. Itachi put on an annoyed face.

"Let's feed Hidan to the fishes and leave him to die!" Itachi responded. Hidan just sighed.

"You can't do that! It's against the rules!"

"Oh, but even though it's against the rules, it can't be helped!"

"You're using my words against me! What happened to the Itachi that was cool and un-moved by anything? Wait; are you sad because poor Kisame died? I know he was your lover!"

Itachi twitched at the comment but just turned away. He learned the hard way that Hidan just gets more annoying the more you complain. It was something you just learn.

"Why is the boss mad at us?" he asked looking at Kakuzu.

"We were to rush to your aid to retrieve the hardest jinchuuriki there was, the nine-tailed fox! But we were too slow due to this idiot!" he answered.

"Whatever!" Hidan said while waving off the compliment. He placed his huge triple bladed sword on the ground while he planted himself next to it. Itachi watched as Kakuzu handed him another cloak.

"It's obvious that you didn't succeed and now we have to enter together!"

"The kid is willing to leave, Kakuzu. So don't waste time trying to make him immobile," Itachi stated. Hidan smiled at the statement.

"Finally, someone is willing to go! The irony of it all, the nine-tailed fox is supposed to be the hardest and now he wants to go with us!"

Itachi slipped on his black coat with red clouds on as he put on his serious face again. "We'll leave about lunch time. There was a monster wrecking the village and might of caused enough damage to let us in much easier, not to mention the Sound have attacked it. Konoha is crippled!"

Naruto opened his eyes and studied the environment. He noticed that he was in a hospital. He was paralyzed but someone must've reawakened him. He felt rather energetic though for someone who was the cause of a distressful night.

"Where is everybody?" he pondered while still studying the empty the room. No one had come to visit. "Who needs them anyway? I'll just run away from here!" he said as he lifted his feet off the bed and felt a jolt of pain all over his body. "Ah! Maybe later…"

He rested on the bed thinking about how Itachi, one who had already attacked him, along with the fish man, had come to his house last night. He wanted to go and now the thought had made him even more energetic. He thought about it thoroughly while the two bickered about things that didn't matter. He was right; the Hokage title would never be enough and who can guarantee that he would get there anyway. But as an Atasuki, he could make people fear him and he would be able to become stronger as well. In a couple of years, he'll be better than any Hokage with the training of Atasuki of course. But something must've happened that had stalled Itachi from taking him out of the village or maybe he was caught. It didn't matter though, he would run away whether it was with the Atasuki or even if he was alone. He wanted to leave Konohagakure…


	6. Anubis

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

"Anubis is back and he's here to find and destroy every one of the Tailed demons," Lance explained softly while looking at the elderly Hokage sitting before him. "Not to mention that Atasuki is after them as well. This is trouble for Konoha."

"I've never heard of this Anubis before. What is he!" the Hokage asked urgently.

"He is the guardian of the Demon plane. He is summoned by a huge ceremony that I accidentally took part in as I was going undercover to find the leader of the Demon hunters…"

"You Uzumaki are not so bright are you?"

"No, I guess not. But this does not change the facts. Anubis is being controlled by these Demon hunters. Maybe not completely but it won't be long!"

"Are you saying that last night was just a small preview of what will happen soon?"

"Yes, Anubis is gaining power everyday but the control is erratic. Alone, Anubis is a mindless creature but with a powerful mind controlling jutsu, Anubis can be a powerful assassin. Naruto is not safe here…"

"Are you suggesting that you take Naruto?"

"With your permiss-"

"NO! Atasuki can defeat you!"

"Last night, I easily defeated Itachi!"

"Don't let your overconfidence get the best of you! I have already gotten the reports of your confrontation with Sasori. You would've died if it wasn't for the immediate medical attention you received! Everyone has weaknesses and Atasuki has a ninja for every skill. Atasuki already knows who you are and they know how to defeat you! Naruto will be caught, it will be much better if you leave him here!"

"Did you get the report of last night?"

"Of course I did, what are you getting at?"

"Did you receive the whole conversation between Naruto and Itachi!"

"I did. Naruto is just an energetic boy. He didn't mean what he said."

"Can you be so sure of that!"

"What has made you so arrogant, Lance! Why do you want to take Naruto so badly!"

"I made a promise to my uncle that I would take care of his son after he died. I have seen what this Anubis can do; he confronted the seven tails and murdered the boy! The demon was released after that and was easily taken care of! Anubis is powerful and he's not at full strength, not to mention there is something wrong with the demons as well. If the boy dies, the demon was suppose to go as well but not with the seven tails. There is something happening that requires more investigation. But I cannot leave Naruto here! Let me take him!"

"I will not leave Naruto in your care unless I know that he is in good care! You are far too young!"

"What if I left him in the care of my other uncle?"

"The chances of him coming here to take care of Naruto are slim. But if you manage to do so then I guess I'll leave Naruto in his care!"

Lance smiled and stood up. He nodded his head and headed out the door. The Hokage sat still with a worried look on his face. He looked at the photo of the Fourth Hokage and smiled.

"Your nephew is one heck of a kid…"


	7. Infiltration

Author's Note: As some of you may NOT know, today is a holiday. It is the day of Barbossa. NO this is not the same Barbossa that tried to re-make the Roman Empire nor is it Captain Barbossa of the Black Pearl EITHER! Today is the day of a hero to us Puerto Ricans. But like all Puerto Rican heroes, this guy did NOTHING! This is nothing but a worthless holiday in which I would like a moment to bow my head in silence and thank this guy for doing absolutely nothing. (gotta love PR for their excess of holidays where you can take a day off from work and school to watch hot chicks in bikinis get wet on the beach. NOW we may actually thank Barbossa for doing nothing)…

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A heavy fog had set in the village of Konoha. It was the strangest weather for the Leaf as it's always sunny. The old Hokage could only sit on the floor, waiting patiently for the weather to leave. But he knew it would not…

"I think I'll deploy my two new agents to guard Naruto. I have a feeling that he's here." He said quietly to himself. He shuddered and crossed his arms. "It's awfully cold!"

"Lord Hokage, who's coming?" ask a female voice from behind the old ninja.

"Anko, I think we need to set them loose. I think their leader is here…"

Anko smiled softly as she put her hands into her pockets.

"Do you think it is wise to let those two out already? Words are just mere contracts that are easily broken!"

"I have a plan. So, you need not worry. But I do think we need ANBU to secure the outside. They are to capture whoever tries to exit the village without expressed permission from myself."

"I guess that magic ball works wonder, eh?"

"Many ninjas could die today as they did last night. So be careful…"

Anko bowed her head a little and left the room.

Meanwhile, on Konoha's outer walls, three figures with black capes silently ran down and into Konoha.

"Kind of ridiculous on why we run up and down walls continuously when we could just put on henge and waltz in. They would not expect that from top ninjas!" Hidan whispered to Kakuzo as they landed on soil.

"We're in. So no talking from here on out. We're lucky to have fog. I think Boss has something to do with it…" Itachi whispered as he ran from wall to wall hoping not to get caught.

Hidan rolled his eyes and put his hands together.

"Transform!" he said very loudly catching the attention of Itachi and Kakuzo.

"I told you that you shouldn't talk!" Itachi yelled as the puff of smoke cleared to show a beautiful young woman wearing a white kimono.

"I think we can easily get past the guards! Don't you think!"

Itachi scratched his head and looked at the woman before him. He quickly turned around when he heard another 'Transform' from behind. Kakuzo also turned himself into a woman. This one was just as beautiful as the other.

"Well?" Kakuzo urged. Itachi blushed as he put his hands together. His hands trembled and his voice stuttered.

"T-T-Trans…Form…" he said quickly as he was surrounded by smoke. Hidan and Kakuzo waited in anticipation for Itachi to show himself but to their surprise…

Itachi transformed into a fat and short ugly woman.

"I guess we couldn't have expected more from an Uchiha…" Hidan sighed as he shook his head. Itachi just growled a little and took out a fan.

"We got to capture Naruto. Now, let's go!"

**_At the Prison_**:

Kakashi walked through the corridors slowly, passing all the cells. In his hands, he held a key.

He stopped at a certain cell and opened it. One man exited out and stood in front of Kakashi. The man had long black hair and plain white eyes. He had an evil grin that made the all-seeing legendary ninja a bit uneasy.

"Hyuuga Manimuri and…" Kakashi announced and stopped while a familiar tall fishy looking ninja stepped out as well.

"Hoshigaki Kisame…"


	8. Lunchtime

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Itachi couldn't really pinpoint exactly on why no one caught the suspicious act of prancing around as girls in the fog but he knew where to find Naruto, the hospital. He continued to go forward as he saw the tall building that he could recognize since he was little. The fog made it blurry but as for something with almost perfect memory, spotting the big medical building was simple. But actually going to the building, Itachi remember something.

'Was Naruto okay or was he still paralyzed?'

If he was, Itachi knew it would be difficult avoiding guards having a young boy on his shoulders. Not to mention how many guards would be around the room, oh and what room was it? Itachi could only get headache thinking about it…

When the three finally arrived, they decided to drop the Genjutsu spell and enter as angry hostiles.

"Kill any ninja that gets in your way. Leave none alive. Remember, they are there to stop you so think of it as self-defense," Itachi advised looking at Hidan who drew out his three-bladed weapon from his back.

"That won't go good with my religion but I'll make a good exception as I'm not in a good mood. I mean I missed my lunch!" he stated as he grabbed his stomach which growled. Kakuzo just sighed as they went to enter the hospital. Itachi felt a flash as the three leaped back.

Two figures stood in the thick fog. They seemed familiar to Itachi as they stepped forward.

"Kisame…" Hidan muttered as the tall fish man lifted his sword, swinging it ever so lightly through the air.

"You've healed?" Itachi questioned while not spotting any wound in Kisame's hands.

"I'm quite lucky. A young lady came up to me after I swore allegiance with Konoha and healed my hands with this strange Ninjutsu," he answered gleefully. He was quite happy to have the ability to kill again. It was his purpose…

"You know, that's strange that your nerves would be severed like that. The possibility is relatively low," Kakuzo mentioned as he crossed his arms.

"Well, that doesn't matter any more, since I've been hired to kill you three!"

Kisame smiled as the fog cleared to show his clothes. He wore the journey man uniform with the green vest and black suit. At least the Hyuuga wore the regular black sleeved shirt and white pants.

"snicker…That uniform…snicker…looks good on you…" Hidan said while trying to hold his laughter back.

"Shall we begin?" Kakuzo insisted while the three lined up.

"Wait! Wait! I get the journey fish dude! I always wanted to know who the better swordsman was!" Hidan stated as he faced Kisame. Itachi dashed and leaped over Manimuri and disappeared in the fog.

"Where is he going!" he pondered as he looked in the direction where Itachi sped off too.

"Always keep your eyes on the enemy!" Kakuzo mocked lunging at the distracted Hyuuga. He lifted up his arms and tried to grab his opponent but Manimuri leaped back before he could.

"It's been a while, Kakuzo. Don't think I've forgotten your techniques of sucking chakra with your hands!" he stated while smiling.

Kisame swung his sword continuously at his opponent who dodged each attack.

"You've gotten slow…" Hidan laughed.

"Actually, I'm hoping to swipe your head off in one blow!"

"How about we get serious!"

Hidan swung his weapon and caught the Samehada between the blades. He smiled at his opponent who was actually smiling back.

Both swords were brought back as both wielders swung again. Hidan caught Kisame's sword again but this time, he spun his sword around making both weapons fly away.

Hidan saw his rope unravel as he quickly gripped it and brought his sword back. Ksame's sword flew into a tree while Hidan swung around making the rope, tied to his sword, swing around Kisame. When the weapon came around, all three blades pierced the fish ninja, making him stop moving. Hidan growled in anger as the dead Kisame bursted into water.

"Damn clone!"

Before he knew it, the Samehada connected to his stomach. The blade was not sharp but the impending force had made Hidan double over it. Kisame lifted the sword along with his opponent and began to spin in circles. When he stopped, the blade shredded the wrapping of the sword as spikes impaled into the flesh of Hidan. He then threw his wounded opponent away with such force making Hidan be hauled away into a tree.

"I hope you like the view, my Buddhist friend!" Kisame mocked as he faced towards the Hyuuga who had just finished knocking Kakuzo to the ground.

"Kakuzo wasn't much of a good fighter when it came to knowledge. He thought that raw power and techniques could defeat someone as intelligent as a Hyuuga," Manimuri stated as he looked at Kisame and his defeated opponent.

"Once you know their tricks, it's easy to finish off any opponent even if they are Atasuki!" the fish man said while looking back at the hospital. "Oh Crap! We forgot about Itachi!"

Both ninjas then began dashing up the wall to the top room.

Meanwhile, Itachi had just finished killing the last ANBU member standing in front of a hospital room. He quietly opened the door and opened it swiftly looking for any other ANBU member but was surprised to see that there wasn't. He entered the room and looked at the bed.

"Huh?"

It was empty and the only thing left was a headband neatly placed on the pillow. It had a slash mark on it marking the owner as a missing nin…


	9. Promises

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

It was probably his pain welling inside of him. Maybe it was that empty feeling in him either way; Naruto could feel the fox growing in him. The power was filling him up.

"What's this feeling!" he pondered as he felt the filthy chakra boiling up in him. "It feels familiar!"

He was leaping from tree to tree. He was running away. He was escaping from Konoha.

"I remember now! Wave country, when I fought Haku!" he said as he came to a stop to think. He probably wouldn't have been caught since the fog was almost blinding. "I thought Sasuke died and then I felt this power…"

He stopped and gave himself a quick overview of the mission. He scoffed and continued to leap.

"I can't believe that I thought they cared!"

He stopped and quickly landed on the ground. His hand reached for a kunai.

"Who's there!" he asked fiercely with that chakra building up more and more.

"Your instincts serve you well, Naruto…" a voice stated as the fog cleared the area. Naruto stared at the figure before him with amazement. A beautiful woman with long blonde hair and green eyes stepped towards him. Her beauty wasn't the only thing that stunned him though; her black cape with red clouds was also surprising.

"Atasuki…"

"Actually, I'm the leader of the group. I determine the missions and I can play mind games with my pawns. But I have an interest in you, Naruto…"

"You want my fox! I thought about it for a minute but I prefer to be alone then join you greedy bastards!"

"You know, you could be a very important piece in this game!"

"I am not a piece!"

"But you are in the game, nonetheless!"

"Leave me alone or I'll KILL you!"

"Ahhhh, your anger is building up. You will soon burst and that fox will be released. But you will die in the process. I can teach you to keep that demon in check…"

"What would you know about having a demon!"

The female ninja smiled softly.

"Because I have a demon in me as well…"

Naruto cringed a little.

'A demon as well! She will probably kill me even if I use this power!'

"But don't worry; I won't kill you no matter what your decision is. You can go alone or you can join us."

Naruto hid his kunai and stepped a foot forward.

"N---"

He was on the edge of his response when he felt something crashing its weight down on him. He felt the world tremble at the roar.

"I may not be the one who kills you but Anubis just might…"

"H-H-Help me!"

He put his palms on the ground and tried to push up but the weight was too much even for the power still surging within him.

"If you won't join me then what's the point of helping?"

He felt cold metal against his neck. The beast on him had his foot planted on his back.

"GET OFF!" Naruto yelled. He felt the urge to yell that he will one day be the future Hokage but he remembered that that dream was now shattered. In reality, he didn't care anymore but he didn't want to die by some beast he couldn't even see. "YOU BETTER GET OFF ME!"

He put more power in his push but still, he could feel a blade on his neck. He looked at the woman in front of him who was smiling ever so gleefully.

'What's she laughing about!' he cursed in his mind.

He felt more power seeping through him as he pushed harder with his palms.

"I'M GOING TO BE THE STRONGEST NINJA IN THE WORLD! AND I'M NOT GONNA BE KILLED BY SOME STUPID SNARLING BEAST!"

The woman stopped smiling as Naruto finally lifted himself up slowly. Anubis just snarled and backed off.

He looked at the woman coldly.

"Tell me, would you teach me on how to harness the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

She then smiled again.

"I promise."

He looked at Anubis with her emerald eyes. The beast snarled louder and ripped two trees along with their roots from the ground. It then dashed off.

"You finally decided to get serious, Naruto. I will give you proper training and you will also receive the help from the other members as well. They will come here soon. It won't take long."

Naruto just breathe heavily.

"Whatever…"

He could already sense something had died in him.


	10. Long before the end

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

The thick fog had begun to clear but the real evil had begun to settle in the village of leaves. Itachi had escaped a confrontation with the now two new mercenaries and had carried off his comrades with him not to mention that now Naruto was gone. There was no sorrow or sadness nor did any emptiness fill the hearts of those who knew him. What the young ninja had presumed was correct. No one cared except for one conductor who was most unhappy.

"I demand we assemble a search team!" yelled an angry Iruka as he slammed his palm upon the table that stood before the elderly Hokage.

"We should NOT risk anymore ninja! We lost Naruto but we need to now prepare for any oncoming attack from Atasuki. Sending a search team would only cause problems!" Sarutobi replied keeping his patience.

"So we condemn Naruto to his death?"

"Sacrifices are necessary but making more would be useless!"

"Damn you! Then I'll go by myself!"

"Iruka, would you convert yourself to a missing-nin just to die shamefully!"

"When I think about it, it feels like I'm abandoning my son. I will not give him up!"

"Don't let you emotions control you, Iruka!"

But the sensei could only scoff at the statement. His anger had gone to rage in seconds. But it is the truth for the respectable teacher. Naruto was like his son now. Before, he may have left Naruto to die but now he couldn't. Even if it meant his freedom…

_**Meanwhile:**_

****Naruto walked swiftly and quietly while being joined with his new companions. He had not spoken with any of them and now kept to himself. But he felt the need to be himself, the loud and noisy boy he was just three days ago. Now, the situation had changed.

'I am now on the road to being a fearsome warrior! I can't be some arrogant boy anymore!' he thought while staring at a very still Hidan (who had impaled himself but only after creating this circle with some ink he had brought with him), he was praying.

"Why do you pray?" he asked softly. The arrogant Buddhist blinked his eyes with such annoyance.

"If I don't then I condemn myself to the deepest corners of hell! Even if that's my destination, at least I won't get the worst punishment!" he replied as if Naruto was asking too many questions.

Naruto just looked away slowly as if trying to forget that he asked. He remembered that he should only keep to himself in this group. But old habits die hard, I guess. Hidan sighed and ripped out his stake from his right lung.

"Ow! Anyway, kid why did you want to leave in the first place?"

"None of your business!"

"Hah! You think you're all that now that you are in the company of Atasuki! Kid, you have yet long ways to go till you become a real member! Until then, you are in the same rank as Tobi!"

'Tobi?'

"I don't care what you think!"

"…You have guts kid! I like that a lot! I'll teach you a special jutsu I know when we get to our hideout!"

Excitement simply sprung from the depths of his heart but…the truth struck him again. He managed to keep shut but being a member of Atasuki, Hidan could sense it.

"You got something to say, kid?"

"…No…"

Hidan grinned and laid back down sticking the stake back into his lung.

"Ow!"

Naruto looked away and cringed.

'I gave up my dream. I gave up myself. I pretty much gave up my soul for pity…or was it for something? I can't even tell anymore!'

It was darkness spreading in his heart. It was poison spreading through his blood. His soul was broken and he knew it wouldn't be repaired for a long time.

What is it in us that make us abandon our dreams! Is it hate? Or is it lack of faith? That question forever burns in the minds of those who abandoned their dreams and dwells in the hearts of those who surrendered to the bitterness of the world. It follows them till they die or find themselves. And do you know why it kills them? It's because there is no reason to forsake your dream. It's the fire in us that makes us go forward…

But this is far from the end of this story. There is still one person (or creature) that has something to say before the end, one that dwells in the stomach of our protagonist. One more evil than any said thing in the history of the world…the feared Nine-Tailed Fox!


	11. 7 years later

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

In the midst of a dark foggy bog, stood a young blonde ninja. He was focusing chakra to his feet and keeping himself afloat above the lake under him. His dark cloak was plain black and his headband slanted a bit on his forehead. And on it, was a slash through the Konoha sign. His blue eyes staring into the forest around him and with his hands to his sides.

Then the mist was split with a slash as Hidan leaped through the air with his rusted blade in the grip of his hands. The ninja leaped over the attack and kicked away the arrogant ninja back into the mist.

"Come on, you guys can do better!" he arrogantly yelled into the mist. Shadows covered the lake. Naruto spread his legs a bit wider and lifted his arms to his face. Before he knew it, a strange bulky puppet attacked. Its strange tail swung fiercely at the blonde ninja but he back off by taking small leaps back but was suddenly taken off guard by the Sharingan user, Itachi. He wrapped his arms around Naruto while sucking away his chakra. Then the fake Itachi turned into Kakuzo while the tail of Sasori struck the captured Naruto. But the puff of smoke had left the strange eyed Kakuzo blind. Sasori leaped back heavily but it wasn't enough to avoid the strange figure underwater. It took only one swift kick for the armor of Sasori to shatter. The real ninja leaped quickly away into the mist. Naruto stayed low to the water waiting for the next attack but the mist cleared quickly showing the rest of Atasuki standing around the lake.

"You did well, Naruto, but you're still not enough to become Atasuki! Though you are very close, there is much work needed!" said a familiar female voice. Naruto looked at the same blonde haired, green eyed woman that accepted him 7 years ago. He scoffed at the words since he was now more arrogant than Sasuke used to be. He no longer accepted anything less than perfect. The woman smiled and left into the misty forest along with the rest of Atasuki except for a young Uchiha. Itachi approached Naruto over the water.

"Konoha has been wiped out! Nothing is left of it except for certain survivors! Sasuke is now taken over by Orochimaru, and not just mind but body as well. He's dead," he stated but Naruto stared into the water without remorse.

"Who cares?" he replied walking away arrogantly. Itachi stared into the lake and could hardly see his reflection. His eyesight was leaving him and soon he would be blind.

'Though now my young brother is dead. This leaves a bad feeling in my stomach. I'm sure this was not what I had wished when I joined but then again, I was young at the time,' he thought sadly. He shook the idea out and walked far behind Naruto.


	12. Hidden War

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

The day was cold and humid but the raging anger of the night waged. The Sand village was at war with the remaining Sound village.

Ninjas scurried upon rooftops. Dead bodies lay sprawled upon houses and buildings and the blood mingled with the bright moonlight. The scent of death was everywhere making a certain blood thirsty jinchurriki itch.

Gaara was now one of two generals that led the remaining army to defend the Sand. They were on the edge of victory. It seems that the Sound's generals deserted the army and now they were lost.

His plain black jump suit made him look almost invisible but the scent of blood upon him gave his presence away.

"Who's there!" he yelled into the darkness. He made a swift movement to turn around but spotted nothing.

"Hey, Gaara, want to know something?" asked a slithering voice. Gaara shifted his position.

'How does he know where I am!' he thought while still trying to perceive the enemies location.

"You see, these new eyes of mine can give me extraordinary sight! And this body is very fit!"

"You're Orochimaru but with 'his' body!"

"You guessed right! But I got a request for you, Gaara!"

The ninja shifted again at the sound of an explosion.

"I can destroy this village tonight! You're at the end of this conflict, Gaara! But if you agree to my terms, I can give you a hint and all you have to do is give up your village but if you don't then I will kill everyone here including the innocents with my reinforcements from…Atasuki!"

Author's note: I cannot make these chapters long! I have to cut these things short for time schedules. School has already begun and I'm short on time 'cause I have to go to music school afterwards and my time for writing is cut extremely short. But I will try to speed things up since I have two hours of school free (NO ELECTIVES FOR ME)! But alas, I cannot make it long. It's just my style of writing.


	13. Change of plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"I never bought that damn deal from Orochimaru!" Hidan murmured under his breathe staring into the village of sand. Itachi could only stare at his brother's body and those same eyes as his.

"When I called him a coward, I never realized he'd take it seriously…" he said coldly to himself. Hidan turned his head to his new partner and scoffed.

"Don't feel sorry for him! He's burning in hell now and soon we'll join him!"

Itachi felt his rage boil from within. He had it with that idiot twit Hidan and preferred Tobi as his partner than him.

"It's time we head down into the village and finish the sand. Orochimaru will bring us Gaara."

"How can we trust a snake?"

"When the snake knows that any false move and he's nothing but a dead carcass!"

Hidan laughed at the remark.

"Don't mention death around me. It makes me laugh!"

Itachi leaped from the building and into the city. Hidan only stared.

"He doesn't even have a clue…" he laughed watching Itachi slaughter the soldiers surrounding him.

For Gaara, he didn't have time for last words. His village was now his family and sacrificing himself was his only option. Orochimaru had pierced his heart and now he lay dead only staring at the night sky.

'He shouldn't have trusted the snake!' Itachi thought while feeling Gaara's death upon him. He felt the guilt of it scratching his heart up. But he was Atasuki; he wasn't supposed to have a heart. Now, he finally regretted killing his clan.

He felt a cold metal under his chin and slowly lifted his head.

"You've gotten slow, Itachi!" the voice taunted with no humor. The blade was removed and Itachi gained his posture. "You're not one to be caught off guard or made nervous!"

"Naruto, this is the time to neither taunt nor prove your superiority over me! Why are you here?!" he yelled. Naruto scoffed and appeared from the darkness.

"Call back the reinforcements and kill Orochimaru! Remember to pick up Gaara's body when you're done."

Naruto left in a puff of smoke and Itachi punched the wall next to him.

"Everything is just a game now!"

He gritted his teeth fiercely and looked up to the moon watching Hidan hopping roof to roof towards Orochimaru.

"I'll let him deal with it," he sighed calmly.

It only took a while for Itachi to realize what was wrong with the scene and why he felt so bad about it. It was all about his little brother, Sasuke. Though angry at himself for the slaughter he caused and the torment of it, he felt truly guilty for his actions. He couldn't describe it but maybe he was regaining feelings into himself. He walked passively through the bloody streets of the sand. There wasn't any survivor and he already knew there weren't going to be. Naruto, himself, had slaughtered them all.

Itachi shook his head and regained his fallen posture again.

"I'm only an emotionless being of war. I'm a tool for killing, nothing more, nothing less," he said to himself bringing his confidence to a still. Killing was the only thing he really knew.

Naruto had already entered the castle of the Atasuki village that they were now creating. He only stopped for a second to think about how close they were to reaching their goal but there was only one thing he was interested in now, his female boss. He slowly walked up the stairs spotting the other Atasuki members lying around doing nothing. Sasori was too busy fixing his broken puppet while Deidara made little clay explosions. He shook his head and continued to go up. He looked down the corridor and felt a little excitement pull him forward. A strong sensual sensation went up his spine as he neared a large red door and opened it.

The bedroom was like a treasure vault. Golden objects shining throughout the room along with different colored jewels and gems but his eyes were not on those objects but something even more beautiful. The young woman sat on the edge of her bed. Her gorgeous blonde hair fell over her face as she brushed it.

"So, you finally returned from the mission!" she stated with her soft voice. Naruto felt the urge in him but he held himself back.

"Yeah…" he replied. The boss looked at him with her green eyes and smiled.

"Close the door. There's something I want to show you!"

Naruto was too shocked by her beauty to realize that she was in red lingerie. He felt a flush on his cheeks and went to close the door. The boss stood up from the bed and walked to the embarrassed ninja. She came so near that she could feel the heat from his body.

"My, my, you look a lot like your father," she stated, "I even bet you even have the same size…"

Naruto backed off.

"My father? You knew him?"

"Now is not the time to discuss your family tree. Just let yourself go…"

She kissed his lips making Naruto relax a bit more. The kiss started soft but became more aggressive as both began touching the other.

"That's it, Naruto. Let yourself go…"

Itachi could already sense what was occurring upstairs but didn't waste time thinking on it as it disgusted him a bit. He did ponder on how he was to begin his training session tomorrow but the action upstairs kept distracting him.

"Does it bother you THAT much that they're having a good time?" Sasori taunted while looking at him.

"No, it only bothers me that we're taking things a bit too slow and easy-going! Just because we have a little village of mercenaries doesn't mean it can't go crashing down tomorrow!" he spit back. Sasori shrugged and continued to fix his puppet.

"Damn that Naruto for trashing one of my favorites!"

Deidara grunted as his little clay soldier blew up to bits.

"Too short of a fuse! What the hell is wrong with these damn toys?!"

"Maybe the fact that they're NOT toys!" Sasori taunted yet again. Deidara scoffed and stood up.

"Look who's talking! You're the one not convinced enough to use glue to put your damn puppet together!"

"What did you say?!"

"Shut it, you two!" Zetsu shouted walking in with the other member of Atasuki. He had entered in a bad mood and quickly went up the stairs. "I got a report for the Boss!"

The other just shrugged and walked up to Itachi. Deidara just snickered as he stared at Zetsu who walked to the scare of a lifetime.

"Itachi, something tells me that there's something or someone is bothering you!" the red haired member stated.

"Nothing, I'm fine!" he answered while the other one could only walk away.

"You know, that's not a good idea…"

Itachi just stood puzzled by those words. What idea?

"I think we should tell Zetsu that…"

Deidara shushed him and gave him an evil look. Sasori stared at the other member and slammed his broken puppet down.

"What's the report?!"

The member opened his mouth to speak when a yell was heard then a thump onto the floor. He sighed and tried again.

"We have a slight misconception. Konoha isn't done yet! They have one last fight up their sleeve and they're waiting for us at their ruined town!"

"I knew that was too easy!" Sasori sneered.

"They say that their best warriors are ready to take back what is theirs!"

"And that is?"

"Naruto…"

Author's note: So what do you think of this comeback chapter?


	14. Preparations

Lee looked at the ruined village below him. He stood on top of a huge tower in the middle that was once the place where the Hokage sat. He was reminded of his old teacher, Guy. Now that he thought about it, he now looked exactly as him except for the young face he still held. He kept looking at the old training areas and one spot that he and many other ninjas will always keep in their memory, the Forest of Death. It was where everything started from the bite on Sasuke's neck to the fight with those Sound ninjas. He smiled a little as he spotted the place where he saw Shikamaru and the others left to retrieve Sasuke. He remembered exactly how Naruto promised Sakura that he would bring him back but now that was in the past. Naruto was then captured soon after he failed him mission maybe that's what made him into the evil being he was now rumored to be. Lee thought he could bring the old one back just like he promised to do with Sasuke…but this time, he wouldn't fail.

He turned around and saw Shikamaru approach him. He held a cigarette in his mouth and a map in his left hand.

"I think Atasuki will regret messing with us! We found some helpful fighters!!!" he stated with a smirk on his face.

"Who do you find?" Lee asked looking confused at Shikamaru.

"You'll find out soon when we fight. Anyway, reports say that they're approaching us. They'll come in contact with us within the hour."

Lee nodded as Shikamaru walked away. He felt a little uncertainty inside but he ignored it.

Naruto walked evilly through the forest as the whole Atasuki followed his steps. They walked in a big group to cause attention to them for they were one to crave instant action. Itachi walked calmly hoping that the Boss wouldn't notice a disturbing feeling inside but her watchful eye always knew what her comrades thought.

"We stop for now! Get the army prepared, Deidara," she commanded as she approached Itachi. "Itachi, what is it that bothers you?"

"Nothing is bothering me. I'm just itching to go into battle!" he answered quickly. She was suspicious of his response since he always said something like 'nothing'. She smiled and sat nearby. Kakuzo stared at Hidan who began doing a ceremony.

"Jashin-sama, please watch over me as I go into battle with these scum called ninjas! I'm going to go all out, I'm serious!!!!" he yelled. Kakuzo threw a rock at him. He cursed and looked at his partner. "That's disrespectful, Kakuzo!"

"Be careful in this fight, you might get killed this time."

"Hah, you're telling me that Kakuzo!"

Naruto sat alone not paying any attention to anything going around him. He only laughed to himself quietly making Itachi a bit nervous.

"He's laughing?" he asked himself. The Boss looked at him and heard his question.

"Itachi, in this battle, I want you to team up with Naruto! Since that girl, Misha, didn't show up like I thought she would! Hidan should go with Kakuzo and Sasori with Deidara. I'll go with Tobi and Zetsu with the last one!" she informed. Itachi sat confused. "You're my 'second in command' now! Naruto is too raw and out of control to assume that role. You are to take it easy and make sure Naruto doesn't confront his old comrades!"

"He shouldn't have any problem if he confronted his old comrades. Why do you advise against it?"

"He'll probably go crazy with no particular reason. He's not stable right now, as you can see. I went a little too…fast on him…"

Itachi sighed without a care for her orders and nodded his head. She looked at him doubtfully and looked away.

Meanwhile, Konoha prepared for the oncoming battle. Shikamaru looked around and analyzed the situation. He then spotted his reinforcements from a distance as they discussed their plan of attack.

"Kisame, why can't you fight someone else?" Lance asked angrily.

"He betrayed me! I have a bone to pick with him!" the fish man replied.

"In reality, you betrayed Itachi just so we didn't kill you!"

"But that's different, I want to fight him!!!"

"Wait, where's Jiriyiah?"

"You mean the pervert guy…writing his book while watching women change into battle uniforms!"

"And Manimuri?"

"With the pervert guy…"

"And don't tell me, Kakashi too!"

"Yup…"

"Why did you decide to stay then?"

"I was the only one smart enough to use a clone to take my place while I went over there…"

"I see…"

Lance sighed and looked at Shikamaru. He gave him the signal to come over.

"We're supposed to be the reinforcements, right?" he asked while Shikamaru just nodded. "How can we be when they're all watching women changing clothes?!"

"You're supposed to go after Atasuki! You will engage them and take Naruto back! You guys are the only ones with enough techniques to take them! Our training has gotten so low this year that we have to rely on an old pervert and convicts to take them!" he stated as he began to walk away, "oh and Lance, try not to destroy this broken village too much. We need it like it is so we don't have to pay too much to repair it!"

And with that, Shikamaru left Lance and Kisame's clone amidst the preparing ninjas. Lance looked at Kisame and sighed.

"I wonder when my uncle will get here!"


End file.
